Community Governance and Mobilization (OSDCOGM) (Essay Sample)

Community Governance and Mobilization (OSDCOGM)
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Community Governance and Mobilization (OSDCOGM)
The evolutionary theory is derived from Charles Darwin’s work in biological evolution and assumes that societies progressively change from simple beginnings into sophisticated forms. Sociologists such as Auguste Comte thought that human societies evolved in a unilinear manner to become increasingly complex social structures in terms of cultural attitudes and behaviors. On the other hand, the functionalist theory stresses what sustains society as opposed to what changes it. It views society as a complex system whose components work in unison to promote stability and solidarity: just as the human body has several organs which work together to ensure that the body is functioning, so do social institutions such as government, healthcare, economy, religion, family, and etcetera work in tandem to keep society in a state of homeostasis. When one component of the system is dysfunctional, all other parts of the society are compromised thereby prompting social change. The conflict theory assumes that society is in a state of perpetual conflict for limited resources and that social order is sustained through domination and power as opposed to consensus and conformity (Patterson, 1999). Conflict theorists believe that those with power and wealth maintain their status by suppressing the poor and powerless. The basic premise of conflict theory is that people or groups within society will always work to maximize their wealth and power. Of the three theories of social change and development, I believe that the evolutionary theory most affected the modern theories.
While everyone has an intuitive understanding of development as a process that results in growth, positive change, and progress, it is difficult to conceive of a meaning that that is all encompassing of the various components of development. Development has traditionally been viewed as synonymous with economic growth (increase in Gross National Product (GNP)) although several humanists have developed inclusive definitions that entail progressive improvements in physical, environmental, demographic, and social functions that enhance people’s lives and living standards. Consequently, a more complete definition of development should include positive changes in economic, political, social, environmental, demographic, and physical components. The problem with adopting a strict economic definition of development is that it fails to consider other facets of change that are important to creating wealth and producing lasting improvements in people’s quality of lives (Sachs, 1992). For instance, issues such as education, human rights, governance, healthcare, cultural attitudes, and freedom of action are all factors outside the economic purview but are essential to any development process. Economic growth does not always lead to an improvement in level or quality of life and certain social and political factors are essential to ensuring that resources are channeled to all layers of the population. Without proper political and social structures, economic development would only benefit a small population of people and there would be huge social inequalities. On the whole, development is more than economic improvement and includes other intangible components of living standards.
Some factors or variables that influence development include economic, social, and political factors. Examples of economic factors are capital formation, natural resources, marketable surplus of agriculture, conditions in foreign trade, and economic system. Some social factors that influence development include human resources, technical know-how, social organization, population, social capital, redistribution, income equality, and respect of human rights. Some political factors that determine level of development are political freedom, level of corruption, trade laws, and political stability. I would consider political factors to be the most decisive because an unfavorable political environment will always derail any development. Most countries have enough natural resources, manpower, and social structures to drive development but other political factors such as poor governance, corruption, unfair trade laws, and political instability tend to impede development from taking place. Governments are responsible for encouraging development by building and maintaining infrastructure, over and above, fighting bureaucracy and corruption. Countries with poor infrastructure cannot take advantage of their economic, social, or cultural resources. Similarly, countries rife with corruption and red tape cannot grow as much as their resources would allow them to. Unfair trade laws work may work to the disadvantage of even a prosperous country, especially if the nation is dependent on exporting surpluses to world markets. Similarly, political instability plays a huge role in impeding any significant development from taking place since any growth is constantly disrupted by conflicts and tension.
Based on what I have read about development work and my experiences as a volunteer, there are certain factors or variables not mentioned in the assigned literature that also affect development. These include flawed economic policies and traditional cultural views. Most underdeveloped nations tend to cling to outmoded economic strategies and traditional social development models that are unfavorable to development. Although developed countries have better technology, capital, and democratic institutions than underdeveloped nations, their development can also be attributed to effective economic policies and progressive cultural attitudes. Most regions that are underdeveloped are hesitant to apply new economic practices and have a rigid cultural view of the improvement process (Kingsbury, 2008). Because of their heavily traditional industrial practices and societies, they are unable to take advantage of new global opportunities that could greatly improve people’s living conditions. Moreover, traditional societies tend to retain unproductive business and governance structures where wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a few people and there is little redistribution of profits to the whole society. Development requires moving from a traditional way of thinking and nurturing commitments to technology, science, industrial revolution, free market competition, among other western concepts of good governance, economic planning, and capitalism. Countries or regions keen on development have to switch from traditionalism to modernity and emulate the economic as well as cultural practices of developed regions. Developing countries must move beyond their traditional economic systems and cultural attitudes and adopt modern economic policies that encourage investment and industrialization.
I believe that besides economic, political, social, and cultural insufficiencies, unfair trade policies arising from asymmetrical relations between First and Third World countries will continue to plague the latter after the Second World War. Third World nations do not exist in isolation and the primary reason for their underdevelopment, even more significant than their weak economic, political, and social structures, is the unequal and unjust position in which they find themselves (Patterson, 1999). After the Second World War, most Third World Countries were, by any conventional socioeconomic measure, inferior: they were dominated political